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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1999)
NEWSROOM (541)346-5511 E-MAIL ode@oregon. uoregon.edu ON-LINE EDITION: www.dailyemerald.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Frank EDITORIAL EDITORS KameronCole Stefanie Knowiton Flying When the world casts its dark shadow, we’d rather stay in the false sunlight The headlines streamed across the Internet, television and newspa pers. “At least 15 killed in Colorado school shooting... Parents anx iously await word of children... Hundreds of students trapped inside... Gunmen gig gle as they shoot, target jocks and minori ties, witnesses say...” On that same Tuesday, the EMU Am phitheater belted terrible Earth Week music as students danced in circles. In the Emer ald newsroom, we crowded around the television, eager for graphic photos and an updated body count. Some one joked that it may all be made into a TV movie. Someone mentioned how Springfield may now lose its “pizazz.” I was watching, too, but I couldn’t smile. I felt sad, not only for what happened 1,000 miles east, but for what was „ happening all Opinion around me. People were laughing and enjoying the mediocre weather, reveling in collegiate bliss, unaware or worse, dismis- i sive, of the horrific events unfold ing three states away. Life doesn’t stop when some thing bad happens. But the fact is that all of us college students stopped caring a long time ago. National issues are a mere foot note on our agenda; politics are a joke and anything outside our proud American borders is usual ly ignored completely. I’m as bad as anyone. When the Kosovo conflict began, I was only slightly interested in the photos of families forced out of their homes and country. I was in trigued by the mass graves that came out later. But as the head lines became more repetitive, I thirsted for new news and phased out when none came. We spend more time thinking about the latest line at Gap or the last episode of “South Park” than what’s happening in the real world, where not everyone has designer jeans, shirts from Struc- , ture and a college degree in the pan. Surrounded by theories, the orems and theses, the one thing j we’re never taught is compas sion. Professors wouldn’t know where to start. Maybe they shouldn’t have to. The most frustrating thing about our apathy, however, is it’s unex plainable. People like to lay the blame—“I was a latchkey kid... My parents divorced when I was five... I’m disillusioned.” Yes, more of us are coming from broken homes, supposedly dealing with a tougher, more mature world, but so what? We may be able to hide behind our generation, but there are still no excuses. If we’re into comparisons, we actually have it better than our parents or grandpar ents. Unprecedented economic prosperity, no wars or draft to dodge, relative domestic peace. Life is good. We should be the ones who are happier, more hopeful, even ideal istic. If anyone can afford to tap in, it’s us. To be fair, some of us are afraid we’ll be ridiculed if we act for any greater good. And with the way activism works on this cam pus, this ridicule is often understandable. But for the most part, those in student gov ernment, environmental crews, student unions and other groups should be com mended, despite their occasional incompe tence or disregard for reality. At least they’re trying. At least they see something greater than themselves that needs to get done. At least they’re thinking not just about whether the line at Subway will be long today, but about their campus, city, country or world. Yes, we’re a fortunate bunch, and we should enjoy what we have. We don’t need to feel guilty. Caring doesn’t mean sending your life savings to the orphans in Yu goslavia or catching a flight to Littleton to comfort the masses, but it does mean recog nizing that when a Gothic outcast shoots up his library or a Serbian soldier kills his countrymen, the bullets hit all of us, cross ing every boundary, including the stagnant, placid borders of a college campus. Ashley Bach is a columnist for the Emerald. His views do not necessarily represent those of the newspaper. Giovanni Salimetia/Emerakl Letters to the Editor Senate supports Dixon Prior to the publication of “Student sena tor faces trial today” (ODE, April 22) Michael Dixon, as a leader, addressed the Student Senate regarding his indictment. As students, our common goal is educa tion. Education is a process of learning through experiences and challenges. With these experiences and challenges, we often make mistakes, but we also learn a lesson Michael Dixon has been a positive asset to the senate and student groups. Since his indictment, he has been involved with nu merous programs and services on our cam pus. We, as a senate, understand that he has made a mistake and realize that he has made a tremendous and sincere effort to put it be hind him and work to better himself. Michael has done a good job on the Senate and should be commended, not reprimand ed. We trust that Dixon will continue to be a wonderful asset to this campus. We are writ ing because we feel that the character of one of our members has been attacked and we would like the student body to know that we support Michael Dixon. ASUO Student Senate: Sarah Wiley, Jamila Singleton, Ethan Knight, Eric Pfeiffer, Shantell Rice, Dan Reid, Teresa Tobin, Scott Reed, Jen Luck, Jessica Timpany, Michael Olson, Lani Hoang, Wylie Chen, Autumn De Poe, Spencer Hamlin, Jereme Grzybowski CORRECTION In the April 22 article “Elections grievance filed over Nader’s appearance on campus ” Joe! Corcoran should have been quoted as saying the ASUO Constitution Court would probably allow OSPIRG’s measure to go to a vote. The Emerald regrets the error. Senator responds to Emerald article First, I would like to apologize to the students of the University. I am not the type of person you may think I am after reading Thursday’s article “Student senator faces trial today.” I am not proud of my actions because it is not the way I was taught or raised. The charges mentioned in the article are alleged, mean- COTMTWntClTy ing nothing has been Michml proven and nothing will imuwoa happen until so. I believe DlXOO everyone makes mistakes —mtmmmmmmm— and most importantly everyone learns from their mistakes. I have learned a great lesson that will stay with me forever, and I have changed my outlook on how I live the rest of my life. After dealing with the Lane County Court, I sought ways to better myself and give something back to the community that I disregarded. By taking powerful leader ship positions, I could put myself in a better light and prove to people that I am trying to make something good out of a bad situa tion. I joined the Black Student Union as a vol unteer and took on many needed responsi bilities. The co-director, Jamila Singleton, felt that my volunteering was an asset to the organization and gave me a permanent po sition. I then had the opportunity to be on the ASUO Student Senate. I was amazed that my efforts from the BSU had been noticed and that I was offered a seat to represent the students. I quickly jumped at the opportu nity and started feeling better about my sit uation and myself. 1 was so nappy mat tftings were starting to turn around that I decided to run for sen ate next year, but little did I know that the Oregon Daily Emerald was watching me. After winning my seat again in the elec tions last week, a reporter approached me with questions about my upopming trial and wanted me to comment on my feelings. Later it was brought to my attention that background checks were done on other candidates. I asked why they felt the need to print personal information about an individual after the elections and their response was that “it is the right of the students to know.” You have the right to know what I ate for breakfast yesterday. Nothing. I was too sick with the notion that the Emerald can and will write anything on anyone just because they feel like it. I was also sick that the Emerald felt the need to bash a hard-work ing student who was trying to change his life by doing positive work for the Universi ty Many of you know me personally and others may not, but I will always be Michael Dixon and the Emerald cannot change that. I will always be a positive com munity leader and the Emerald cannot stop that. My main concerns are the intentions of the Emerald on printing that article. Are they trying to become a tabloid student pa per? Are their stories not compelling enough that they need to dig into the back ground records and seek information that could ruin someone’s name? Are they try ing to split the community and make peo ple appear to be something they really aren’t? I feel that you, the students, need to know both sides of the story, and the Oregon Dai ly Emerald has not, is not, will not give it to you. The Oregon Daily Emerald is not tak ing into consideration the feelings of stu dents and is disregarding everything we say.
